What This Self-Driving Tech Exec Wants Entrepreneurs To Know About Goal Setting

Aurora’s Head of Ops Will Mouat shares tips for entrepreneurs at brunchwork.

</div>
</div>
<p><strong>1. Target big problems.</strong></p>
<p>The most successful entrepreneurs think beyond building a business or selling a product. They focus on how their products or services will impact society.</p>
<p>
</p>
<p>Self-driving cars have the potential to solve problems that people deal with every day.</p>
<p>As a result of autonomous tech, commuters could regain <a href="https://aurora.tech/&quot; target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer" data-ga-track="ExternalLink:https://aurora.tech/">14 days a year that they lose on transit</a>, deal with less traffic, and&nbsp;enjoy&nbsp;more green space in their cities (as the need for parking lots would diminish).</p>
<p>Aurora is laser focused&nbsp;on an even bigger mission: saving human lives. In 2016, motor vehicle accidents resulted in as many as <a href="http://www.nsc.org/NewsDocuments/2017/12-month-estimates.pdf&quot; target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer" data-ga-track="ExternalLink:http://www.nsc.org/NewsDocuments/2017/12-month-estimates.pdf">40,000 fatalities</a>, a 6% increase from the year before.</p>

Autonomous vehicles could represent a seven trillion dollar market by 2050. Aurora is one of a handful of startups paving the way towards that driver-less future. Headed by Google, Uber and Tesla veterans, the startup has partnered with automakers Volkswagen and Hyundai to develop software to power autonomous vehicles.

The company, which recently raised $90 million in funding, is on a mission to build fully autonomous vehicles that will increase public safety, improve lives, and revitalize cities.

At an event we hosted at WeWork Mid-Market, we sat down with Aurora’s Head of Ops Will Mouat. Here are Mouat’s advice for entrepreneurs in cutting-edge industries.

Aurora’s Head of Ops Will Mouat shares tips for entrepreneurs at brunchwork.

1. Target big problems.

The most successful entrepreneurs think beyond building a business or selling a product. They focus on how their products or services will impact society.

Self-driving cars have the potential to solve problems that people deal with every day.

As a result of autonomous tech, commuters could regain 14 days a year that they lose on transit, deal with less traffic, and enjoy more green space in their cities (as the need for parking lots would diminish).

Aurora is laser focused on an even bigger mission: saving human lives. In 2016, motor vehicle accidents resulted in as many as 40,000 fatalities, a 6% increase from the year before.

“Aurora’s mission is to get self-driving cars out there quickly, safely, and broadly,” Mouat said. The company set a goal of reaching Level 5, the highest level of autonomy in vehicles. Level 5 cars don’t even have a steering wheel.

Mouat acknowledges that with massive goals, there are even greater challenges. Entrepreneurs may have to build and launch a product with little to no previous examples to guide them. Mouat said, “There’s no book that you can refer to.”

In the case of self-driving cars, Aurora is doing work that’s unprecedented. They are collaborating with local and state legislature to put systems in place that will accommodate fully automated vehicles, and building technology that’s never been done before.

Startup culture may seem glamorous, but appearances can be deceiving. It is critical to check your expectations against the grind of building a business.

The oft repeated motto ‘Choose a job you love, and you will never have to work a day in your life’ isn’t the reality. Even if someone is running a side hustle based on a hobby, Mouat said, “Not every moment at work is going to be awesome.”

To overcome challenging moments, Mouat added, “Be enthusiastic about what you’re doing and committed to the mission.”